2f2359a7-4e37-4951-be84-7e4829e723e8.png

Honolulu Marathon

Background

A world-renowned marathon that attracts athletes from all over the world needed a multi-site website to bring them up to speed.

The Honolulu Marathon is one that runners around the world look forward to, since 1973 the picturesque views have been the backdrop of the USAs fourth largest marathon. Such an event needed a website that would reflect the grandeur of the event, which meant a visual and technical overhaul of their existing websites was needed. 

The objectives for the project were to drive online registration numbers as well as to promote the marathon across the world and welcome a more diverse range of contestants. 

Thanks to our approach to user experience (UX) design, web development and paid ads we worked with the Honolulu Marathon team to build a site to showcase the marathon and bring in more competitors.

HM2017_Gallery-0988.png
775266687KH042_Honolulu_Mar.png

Solution

First and foremost we sought to understand the objectives of the project by getting to know the organisers and what they envisioned - a key part of any project that we undertake. 

Initially we built a responsive WordPress site which was fully aligned with the brand guidelines, transferring all historical data from the old site in the process. We integrated MailChimp to assist data capture and the sending of targeted emails, and designed bespoke email newsletter templates.

The new site incorporated a range of engaging features including live Marathon countdown timers, animation and video. We also added Google Analytics and the Facebook Pixel to track traffic and measure the effectiveness of the PPC campaigns. 

After the first website, we continued to work with the team to produce two further websites to cover all three events that are hosted - the Honolulu Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k. Each of these sites could work together to reflect the specific event’s brand and entice runners to sign up. Additionally we planned and implemented a brand new PPC strategy to drive awareness and sign ups. We now create, optimise and report on a number of campaigns across Google Search, Display, Retargeting and Programmatic.

Taking prior knowledge of the demographics that were interested in the marathon we were able to target key audiences in the locations that traditionally drove the most sign-ups including the USA, Australia and New Zealand. This encourages runners to take the trip of a lifetime and run in the marathon, with great pictures to show off their achievements thanks to the beautiful views! 

Following on from this we developed YouTube ad campaigns and were appointed to run digital marketing for the marathon’s sister event, the Hapalua Half Marathon.

Honolulu-Marathon-mockups.png
We have worked with WebBox on a range of projects including PPC Management, Programmatic campaigns and 3 website builds. WebBox is very approachable and has been instrumental in creating our digital presence. Thank you and we look forward to working with you on the next project!
Fredrik Bjurenvall Honolulu Marathon

Results

Since the new site was launched we’ve seen a boom in engagement, including:

  • 22% increase in sessions with the biggest increase coming through organic search, highlighting the effect of search engine optimisation on the new website.
  • 93% decrease in bounce rate indicating that users who visited the website were less likely to leave straight away.
  • 92% increase in pages per session.
  • Average session duration decreased by 6.36%. This is positive as people are finding the information they require more easily and quickly. This is backed up by the increase in conversions and conversion rate.
  • Conversion increase of 28% 
  • Conversion Rate increase of 5%

Are you looking to increase conversion for your sporting event? Or are you struggling to get your brand in front of a new audience?

Let's start the conversation!

Get in touch to talk about your project

01Good fit?

We like to meet and get to know you. We find it helps to see whether we are a good fit.

02Your brief

Great news if you’ve already got a brief - we’d love to see it. If not, let’s chat as we can help with that.

03The process

There’s no cookie-cutter model here. Ask us how we adapt the process to each project.